Where I live, there is a certain Tennis Dad who enjoys giving tennis lessons and organizing tennis socials for kids not only in the school his son is enrolled at, but at all schools. Now one day, after holding a free tennis lesson for some JV kids, he was approached by the town pro (This pro was sanctioned as the only pro allowed to teach FOR MONEY on public courts in the city). The pro told him this:
NO more bringing a ball basket to teach kids on ANY public court
NO more tennis socials organized

Is this legal? I see this as a way to monopolize the kids into being taught by him. He has already gotten rid of every other Pro in town somehow, including most of the country club ones.

Where I live, there is a certain Tennis Dad who enjoys giving tennis lessons and organizing tennis socials for kids not only in the school his son is enrolled at, but at all schools. Now one day, after holding a free tennis lesson for some JV kids, he was approached by the town pro (This pro was sanctioned as the only pro allowed to teach FOR MONEY on public courts in the city). The pro told him this:
NO more bringing a ball basket to teach kids on ANY public court
NO more tennis socials organized

Is this legal? I see this as a way to monopolize the kids into being taught by him. He has already gotten rid of every other Pro in town somehow, including most of the country club ones.

School courts may be controlled by the Dept. of Ed and the rest of the public courts may be controlled by the City. Both entities are usually afraid of lawsuits and the pro probably has insurance. So this parent needs to talk to these entities and obtain permits and insurance if necessary. In any case the pro cannot tell anyone what they can or cannot do but if he is in alliance with the city they may send police to check the permit.

School courts may be controlled by the Dept. of Ed and the rest of the public courts may be controlled by the City. Both entities are usually afraid of lawsuits and the pro probably has insurance. So this parent needs to talk to these entities and obtain permits and insurance if necessary. In any case the pro cannot tell anyone what they can or cannot do but if he is in alliance with the city they may send police to check the permit.

Yup, in our city signs are on every city owned court that say no lessons without a permit.

If he is giving lessons for free, it should be no problem. If he is charging for them, then it is considered "commercial" and he would probably need a permit to do it on a public court. The pro can't tell him not to do it, but could report it if he is charging for the lessons.

I give my own kids lessons on public courts with baskets, props, targets, etc along with other kids sometimes. I don't charge for it, though, I just like my kids to have the company and training partners.

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permits....... wow! I have never heard of such. I also heard that up north in some places you have to pay by the hour to play tennis. Down here in the south we play membership to our club and it is unlimited play. Then my neighborhood has two locked courts that we can use anytime as well.

The town pro sounds like, let me use the technical term, a tool. Have the "pro" call the cops, I'm sure they'd love to have their time wasted tending to the grievous matter of a dad giving free lessons.

If the pro has the court reserved then whoever is on there should vacate but otherwise, only jobsworths enforce every little rule.

So what's the rule on a ball basket if you're teaching yourself how to serve?

The town pro sounds like, let me use the technical term, a tool. Have the "pro" call the cops, I'm sure they'd love to have their time wasted tending to the grievous matter of a dad giving free lessons.

If the pro has the court reserved then whoever is on there should vacate but otherwise, only jobsworths enforce every little rule.

So what's the rule on a ball basket if your teaching yourself how to serve?

Well around here the "town pro" has called cops on those teaching lessons on the public courts. In NorCal seems like there are many who want to "lock Down" the public courts with the city, and the high school courts are also part of the city in most areas. I always suspect they don't want anyone teaching, because if the same as here, they don't want parents seeing a good lesson from someone else, and think wow that is much better than your city program.

Well around here the "town pro" has called cops on those teaching lessons on the public courts. In NorCal seems like there are many who want to "lock Down" the public courts with the city, and the high school courts are also part of the city in most areas. I always suspect they don't want anyone teaching, because if the same as here, they don't want parents seeing a good lesson from someone else, and think wow that is much better than your city program.

Well around here the "town pro" has called cops on those teaching lessons on the public courts. In NorCal seems like there are many who want to "lock Down" the public courts with the city, and the high school courts are also part of the city in most areas. I always suspect they don't want anyone teaching, because if the same as here, they don't want parents seeing a good lesson from someone else, and think wow that is much better than your city program.